Articulated structure particularly for partitions



R ODDICINI 3,419,064

ARTICULATED STRUCTURE PARTICULARLY FOR PARTITIONS Dec. 31, 1968 Filed Dec. 12, 1966 INVENTQR @M @d fi United States Patent 3,419,064 ARTICULATED STRUCTURE PARTICULARLY FOR PARTITIONS Renzo Oddicini, Bologna, Italy (Via Piana 17, Omegna, Novara, Italy) Filed Dec. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 600,941 4 Claims. (Cl. 160-229) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a folding door structure, comprising joining sections, panel members with projecting bead-like rib portions and articulated to one another through said joining sections said joining sections being provided with longitudinal grooves at least partially open and defining a cavity opening designed to receive each one of said rib portions for-med longitudinally on the edges of the panel members to be joined.

The present invention relates to a bellows structure with articulate and folding elements of the type which is used in the construction of doors, partitions and the like.

As it is known such structures with articulate elements consist of a number of plate like elements joined to each other by joining members which allow a folding movement between two adjacent elements.

Usually the joining members are formed of a section or structural shape which comprises two longitudinal parallel grooves each provided with a longitudinal opening.

In the above mentioned grooves articulation ribs are housed whch are formed onto the edges of the plate like elements.

Usually the mounting of the single elements onto the joining sections is effected by means of a simple insertion of the said articulation ribs into the grooves of the joining sections.

Since, as it is easily seen, the structure thus obtained is to a certain extent weak, in the sense that the single elements can easily move from their operating positions, the known art for the mounting of folding doors by means of a structure of the type above mentioned, demands the use of an upper suspension along special guides provided on the ceiling or on the lintel of :a door, one for each articulate element forming part of the door itself.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION This type of mounting has serious inconveniences in the operating of the door and other drawbacks due to the amount of material required for the installation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for bellows doors, and the like, in which it is no longer necessary to use in the installation, suspending members placed at each folding element.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for manufacturing a structure with articulate elements, which allow an easy disassembly of the elements themselves.

According to the invention there is provided a structure for folding doors and partitions with a plurality of panel elements hinged to each other at end portions thereof, wherein the hinge means provided for hingedly connecting the panel elements comprise, between two contiguous panel elements, a section member extending substantially parallel to the upright direction of said panel elements and having two grooves provided therein, each of said grooves extending parallel to said upright direction and having an opening defining an elongated gap facing the respective upright edge of the contiguous panel element, one strap member extending substantially parallel to said upright direction and fixed on each corre- "ice sponding contiguous panel element, said strap member having a plate-like body portion projecting from the upright edge of the corresponding panel element and a beadlike free edge extending parallel to said upright edge, said plate-like body portion having a thickness less than said elongated gap of said groove and said bead-like edge having a diameter greater than said elongated gap, saiid groove being adapted to slidably and rotatably receive said bead-like free edge, said section member having a T-like cross-section comprising a left and a right wing portions and a web portion extending transverse to said wing portions, the wing portions having edges bent towards the free end of said web portion and defining together with said web portion said two grooves and said elongated gap thereof.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing given by way of an example not limitative in which:

FIG. 1 shows a prospective and partially sectional view of a joining between two articulate elements;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of an end piece of an articulate element.

With reference to the above figs, the reference number 1 indicates the elements to be joined to one other in an articulated manner. The joining section is shown at 2 as having longitudinal grooves 3 and 4 provided with longitudinal openings 3a, 4a, respectively.

As it appears from the drawing the section member 2 has a T-like cross-section with wing portions and a web portion extending transverse to said wing portions, the wing portions having edges bent towards the free end of said web portion and defining together with said web portion the two longitudinal grooves 3 and 4 and the elongated openings or gaps 3a, 4a thereof.

Into the edges 1a of the elements 1 in a manner per se known the articulation ribs or strap members 5 are inserted which as can be seen from FIG. 1, are designed to be housed with head-like edge thereof in the grooves 3 and 4 of the joining section 2.

It will be also noted from the drawing that the beadlike free edge of the strap or rib members 5 has a diameter greater than said elongated gaps 3a, 4a and the thickness of the plate-like portion of said rib or strap member 5 is less than that elongated gap.

According to the invention, the said articulation ribs 5 are interrupted for a certain length at the upper and lower ends of the elements 1 to be joined.

When being mounted, after the said articulation ribs 5 have been introduced into the respective grooves of the joining element, the portion not provided with articulation ribs is occupied by a screw 6 or the like, which is locked into its position by giving a few blows of the punch on the outside walls of the grooves of the joining section 2, as illustrated in FIG. 1, at 7 and 8, thus forming a corresponding inner passage, defined by punch bulges engaging with the threads of the screw 6 in a manner similar to an internal screw-thread.

As can be deduced from the description given, with a folding structure, according to the invention it is no longer necessary to support at the upper transversal guides which usually are used for the mounting of doors and walls, each of the articulate elements but, for example it will be possible to provide a support every second or third articulate member, being sure that the other members not supported cannot slip out owing to the locking in respective joining sections due to the screws 6'.

In fact, in the known structures the panels had to be suspended since the articulation joint could not lock the panels in axial direction, since a sliding movement for the rotation was necessary.

On the other hand it is well understood from the description and the illustration of the invention that the screws 6 can be easily removed from their sockets thus allowing a quick mounting of the single elements making up the folding structure.

As can further be deduced from the fact that a support to the superior transversal guide can be provided only to every second or third articulate element, the

invention further provides a certain oscillation out of the suspension plane of the elements left free, thus giving the possibility of obtaining in dividing walls or doors a wavy like structure similar to a screen.

The invention as it is described can be susceptible to numerous variations entering under the protection power of the present patent, as described above and as claimed hereinbelow.

I claim:

1. A structure for folding doors and partitions with a plurality of panel elements hinged to each other at end portions thereof, wherein the hinge means provided for hingedly connecting the panel elements comprise, between two contiguous panel elements, a section member extending substantially parallel to the upright direction of said panel elements and having two grooves provided therein, each of said grooves extending parallel to said upright direction and having an opening defining an elongated gap facing the respective upright edge of the contiguous panel element, one strap member extending substatially parallel to said upright direction and fixed on each corresponding contiguous panel element, said strap member having a plate-like body portion projecting from the upright edge of the corresponding panel element and a bead-like free edge extending parallel to said upright edge, said platelike body portion having a thickness less than said elongated gap of said groove and said bead-like edge having a diameter greater than said elongated gap, said groove being adapted to slidably and rotatably receive said beadlike free edge, said section member having a T-like crosssection comprising a left and a right wing portions and a Web portion extending transverse to said wing portions, the wing portions having edges bent towards the free end of said web portion and defining together with said web portion said two grooves and said elongated gap thereof.

2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said beadlike free edge has a truncated portion at least at one end thereof thereby leaving free an end portion of said longitudinal groove, a belt member extending parallel to said longitudinal groove and driven parallel thereto into the free end portion thereof to abut against the truncated end of said bead-like edge.

3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein punch bulges are provided in said section member in the free end portion of said groove, and said bolt member has screw threads engaging with said punch bulges thereby to allow the screwing of said bolt.

4. A structure for folding doors and portions according to claim 3, wherein a known horizontal overhead track for suspending the panel elements thereon is provided and wherein according to the improvement among the plurality of panels forming the structure for folding doors and portions a limited number of panels has means for suspending said limited number of panels on 'said overhead track, thereby to allow the non-suspended panels to be laterally displaced with respect to said track.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,770,298 11/1956 Hiatt 160199 3,267,990 8/1966 Harris. 3,324,930 6/1967 Colombo 160-231 PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

